'Charlie Brown Thanksgiving' to air -- jelly beans, toast for all

In the 1973 special, "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving," Charlie Brown wants to do something special for the gang. However the dinner he arranges is a disaster when the caterers, Snoopy and Woodstock, prepare toast and popcorn as the main dish. Humiliated, it will take all of Marcie's persuasive powers to salvage the holiday for Charlie Brown. (I always loved that they ate toast, jelly beans and popcorn for dinner.)

The Charles Schulz classic also will feature a bonus cartoon: "This is America, Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyagers." Part of an eight-part series that aired from 1988-89 on CBS, "This is America, Charlie Brown" is set in 1620. After 65 grueling, sea-tossed days, the Pilgrims are in view of America's shores and Charlie Brown and the Peanuts crew are with them as they experience the first Thanksgiving.

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You have to love the triple feature of "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" and "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (airing Dec. 8 and 16) that's been running on the air for decades when each holiday comes up. There are dozens of these specials -- one for almost every occasion (I'm partial to the kite-eating tree that Charlie Brown bites in "It's An Adventure, Charlie Brown" thus landing him in trouble with the EPA.)

What's so hilarious and endearing about Charlie Brown is his cynicism -- there are tons of cynical characters in comic strips, but not many in animated cartoons. And then on the flip side, you have the eternally optimistic Linus. Great stuff.